China’s phenom Zhou Qi shines on international debut, but China lose in OT

PERTH, Australia Sino-Australian Challenge: Young starlet Zhou Qi pic above returned an impressive double-double, but China blew a 15-point lead and went down 95-97 Game Details to Australia in Overtime in Game One of the 2014 Sino-Australian Challenge series on Friday.

The annual series between two the trans-Pacific basketball giants took off with the expected intrigue and intensity and finished with enough twists and turns to satiate the basketball connoisseurs on either side the Pacific.Gong Luming, in his first international game at the head of China’s bench since guiding them to the quarterfinals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, has stitched a roster of players all of them under 25 years of age.

The youthful roster comprising players all of them playing in the CBA did an impressive job of hold their own against the more experienced Boomers, who are in preparation mode for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup to be played in Spain from Aug 30-Sept 14. Zhou Qi, considered by many as the ‘future of Chinese basketball’ more than justified that billing while returning the only double-double of the game, but the inexperience of the squad to handle the pressure situation showed up when push came to shove.China are using the Sino-Australian Challenge to prepare for the 5th FIBA Asia Cup which they will host in Wuhan from July 11-19.

via CHN – Zhou Qi shines on international debut, but China lose in OT.